Half A Man
by Lady Bahiya
Summary: How does one repair the other half of his soul? One shot


**Title:** Half A Man

**Author:** Lady B

**Pairing:** Draco/Harry, 7th year

**Word count:** 1626

**Rating:** PG13 for language/implied sex

**Summary:** How does one repair the other half of his soul?

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created by JK Rowling and company. I do not own the rights to these things but appreciate the fact that me and countless others are allowed into her house to play with them from time to time.

**Author's note:** I started a new table of prompts at the HPFanFic10x10 LiveJournal Community. This is for the prompt: "misery". The ending may seem kind of fast to you but the muse demanded it be written this way.

- - -

"Harry, wait!" Ron shouted after his best friend as Harry stormed through the Gryffindor common room. Harry paused at the foot of the stairs to the boys dorms, but did not turn around.

"Ron, I love you, but I just want to be alone right now." Harry stated. Ron had never heard Harry so dejected before.

"Harry, what happened?" Ron dared to ask. Harry took a deep, shuddering breath, hanging on to his tears by a very slim thread.

"Let's just say that the Slytherins finally got the last laugh on Harry Potter courtesy of Draco Malfoy and leave it at that." Harry whispered. He climbed the stairs to their room, slamming the door behind him. Ron watched him go, a murderous expression on his face. He turned around and headed back out of the room.

"Ginny, if you see Hermione, tell her I'll be late to dinner!" he called out on his way.

- - -

Draco was sitting in the Slytherin Quidditch stands giving his team some last minute instructions before dismissing them from practice when he heard someone bellowing his name. He turned just in time to see a fist heading for his face and he instinctively ducked. The fist missed his nose but caught his eye and he shouted in pain.

"What the fuck, Weasley!"

"What the fuck did you do to Harry?" Ron scowled.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Draco snorted.

"Oh, I think you do." Ron argued.

"Please, like it meant anything to him."

"Then you don't know Harry very well, do you? I was willing to tolerate this...well whatever it was between the two of you because Harry was the happiest I've ever seen him since Dumbledore died and you fucked it all up! And for what? To get revenge on him for every little slight he's ever done or hasn't done to you? That's really fucking pathetic, Malfoy. Even for a slimy snake like you."

"Aww. Did ittle Potter's feelings get hurt?" Draco snorted, causing his housemates to laugh. Ron clenched his fists at his side, but refrained from punching Draco a second time.

"Do you want to know where Harry is, right this moment?"

"Probably snogging your sister, if I know him." Draco laughed. When Ron didn't rise to the bait, Draco's laughter slowly died and he stared at Ron as if seeing him for the first time.

"Harry is currently locked in his bed sobbing his heart out. Oh wait, I forgot. He no longer has a heart because you ripped it out and used it as a Bludger. Good job, Malfoy. You finally did what no one else could do. You killed Harry Potter. I hope you're satisfied."

And with that, Ron turned on his heel and left the pitch.

- - -

Hermione and Ron managed to coax Harry out of bed and down to dinner, where he spoke to no one and stared listlessly at his plate. His eyes were red and puffy from crying and everyone could tell he didn't want to be there. From his place at Slytherin's tables, Draco took all this in and felt a fluttering in his heart. He frowned.

"Draco?" Pansy asked from his left.

"What?"

"You're frowning at Potter again."

"Well look at him. He looks like shite."

"It's your bloody fault he looks that way." Pansy hissed. Shocked, Draco looked at her.

"Excuse me?"

"That was pretty pathetic what you did to him. Courting him, making him believe you care, and then humiliating him in front of the whole school."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't you one of the ones laughing along with everyone else?" he scowled.

"I was laughing at you! After everything we've gone through to finally gain the respect due our house, you fuck it all up in some misguided attempt at revenge!" she growled, actually growled, at him. "Look at him, Draco. He looks like someone died. And everyone is blaming you for it." And with those words, Pansy stood and left. Draco watched her leave before turning back to watch Harry once again. Harry pushed away his plate, clearly not hungry, said a few words to his friends and left the Hall. And not for the first time, all eyes turned his way and glared at him, including some of the students in his own house. That fluttery feeling returned, full force, and he visibly gulped.

"What are you lot looking at, eh? He snarled. If anything, the glares intensified to uncomfortable proportions and Draco finally looked away. His gaze landed on his Head of House. Professor Snape was staring hard at him, the expression on his face clearly one of disappointment. At him. And that hurt more than anything. Draco looked away, swallowing past the lump in his throat. And that fluttery feeling would not go away.

_'Why do I feel like this? It's not as if I hurt Golden Boy. He's so bloody spoiled and has a million admirers. He needed to be brought down a peg, the spoiled git._

_He did look like hell, though. Shite!_

_So this is what guilt feels like._

_Why should I feel guilty? He refused to be my friend! He's the one who should feel guilty, not me!_

_He looked so young that night, when he was sleeping. And he was so loving. I didn't realize he was a virgin. Why didn't he tell me to stop?_

_M-Maybe he does care about me? Is that possible? Why would anyone care about me? I'm mean, manipulative and a bitch on top of it. Pansy tells me often enough I have a heart of ice._

_He said he loved me, and I laughed in his face. My heart did something strange when he said those words to me. Is it possible I love him back? We've been enemies for 6 years. But when I look in his eyes, I see us together. Is that possible? Why?_

_Wait! I read about this somewhere.'_

Draco thought back and his eyes suddenly widened in shock.

_'Soulmates? We're soulmates? Fuck! What have I done! I have to find him before he does something stupid!'_

Everyone was surprised when Draco Malfoy suddenly surged to his feet and ran from the room.

- - -

He searched all the places he thought Harry would be, even taking an unauthorized trip down to Hogsmead and back with no luck.

He was about to give up when a flash of white caught his eye. He glanced upward and saw a pure white owl flying toward The Owlery. He followed the bird's flight and caught sight of his quarry standing on the open ledge. Heart in his throat, he ran the whole way.

Harry watched Hedwig's flight from her hunt and held out an arm to her. She landed gently on his arm and rubbed her feathered head against his cheek when he pulled her close.

"What am I to do, Hedwig? He won't even speak to me anymore. Why did he hurt me like that?" he whispered to his familiar, tears leaking from his eyes. Hedwig hooted in a forlorn manner, knowing instinctively that her human was hurting. She would love to scratch the eyes out of the one who hurt him, but she knew she couldn't do that. Her human needed her and she was not moving one inch.

Her sharp vision noticed the blonde snake standing in the door, staring at her human with something other then cruelty in his gray eyes and she hooted softly.

_'I see how it is now.'_ she thought to herself. She ran her beak through Harry's hair in comfort and support before flying to her perch to rest. Harry watched her go, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Harry?" a soft voice came from behind him. He whirled around in fright, his eyes widening when he saw who stood there.

"Come to make fun of me some more or something?" he scowled. Draco stepped closer to him.

"No. I-I came to apologize."

"For what?" _'Ripping my heart out and stomping it to shreds?'_

"For what I did to you yesterday. It was totally uncalled for. So...I-I'm sorry."

Harry was stunned. It was the first time he could remember Draco apologize for anything and actually mean it.

"Why are you doing this? Why can't you leave me be?" Harry whispered, hating the tears that sprang to his eyes once more. He didn't think his heart could break any more then it already had. It hurt.

"How can I ignore the other half of my soul?" Draco replied in kind. Harry glanced up in shock. That was the last thing he expected to hear.

"What? I-I don't understand."

"We're soulmates, Harry." Draco whispered, stepping closer still. "I've been trying to deny it, that's why it hurts. That's why I hurt." He took Harry's hand and placed it against his chest. Harry could feel his heart beating in sync with his own and his eyes widened. He looked up at Draco, hope in his eyes.

"I want to hear it, Draco. Please?" Harry begged in a near breathless whisper. Draco wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him flush against his own body.

"I love you, Harry Potter. I think I always have." he stated, just before covering Harry's lips with his own.

Harry felt everything in that one kiss, the rightness of it blowing the sadness and depression away. He wrapped his arms around Draco's neck and poured his entire being into that one kiss. It was like finally coming home after a very long journey.

Neither cared they were in a room full of owls. All that mattered at that moment was the two of them and their love for one another.

_-Fin_


End file.
